Cocina De Carlos: Gluten-Free Mexican in Toledo

I recently visited Cocina De Carlos in Perrysburg, Ohio for dinner. My family was excited to try this restaurant due to the large menu we saw online and the noted GF icons next to several dishes, identifying them as gluten-free options.

It was nice to see the labels on the menu, making us feel safe about the food we were going to order.

We arrived to the restaurant on a Saturday night at around 6 p.m. – it seemed to be quite busy which was a good sign that the food would be good.

We were seated at a booth and our server asked for our drink orders. Being the dedicated blogger that I am, I just had to try the margarita so I could give you all a proper review. I ordered my usual – raspberry margarita on the rocks, no salt. We also ordered appetizers. Being that nachos are my favorite dish basically ever, we got a platter of the Gluten-Free Nachos with Ground Beef, decently priced at $5.00. As we waited for the nachos, we were of course digging into the chips and salsa on the table. One of the things I enjoyed is that Cocina De Carlos serves their basket of tortilla chips with separate bowls of salsa so you don’t have to worry about bumping knuckles or double-dipping!

Once the nachos arrived, it was game time. They ended up tasting pretty good, but not the best I have had. We must remember though, I’m well-versed in the art of nacho eating so I have pretty high standards.

After waiting what seemed like an eternity, our margaritas were delivered to the table. I wouldn’t say it was fabulous and I wouldn’t say it was bad, just so-so. Maybe if I return I’ll take it up a notch and have their Top Shelf Patron Margarita, you know, for research purposes.

When it came time to place my meal order, I was a bit overwhelmed. The menu at Cocina De Carlos is rather large with a lot of gluten-free options, making it hard to decide! I ended up getting the Pork-Jalapeno Fajitas. All of Cocina De Carlos fajitas are notes as GF when requesting the gluten-free corn tortilla and they are also served with Spanish rice, beans, and a guacamole garnish. I was expecting a sizzling plate full of fresh meat, peppers, and gluten-free tortillas. What I got was a bit different…

My pork-jalapeno fajitas had a heavy cheese/creamy sauce on them that I was not expecting from the description on the website – Gluten-FreePork-Jalapeno Fajitas: Tender grilled pork carnitas with sliced fresh jalapeno, onions and tomatoes. I was also given flour tortillas with my meal after requesting gluten-free corn tortillas. It made me wonder if our server (who wasn’t the most pleasant person in the world) even understood what the gluten-free request meant. When I was waiting for the corn tortillas to be delivered to the table, my mom lent me one of hers so I could begin eating with the rest of the family.

Since I’m not the biggest cream-sauce lover, I didn’t dig my meal very much.

My mom ordered the Gluten-FreeDon Charly:Half of a ripe pineapple grilled and filled with chicken, grilled mushrooms, onions, pineapple chunks and melted cheese on top. Served with Spanish rice, beans, and a guacamole garnish. The Don Charly is noted gluten-free on the menu when ordered with gluten-free corn tortillas. I ended up eating some of this meal since I wasn’t that thrilled with my order and the portion was insanely large.

My gluten-eating step-dad and step-brother seemed to enjoy their meals.

All in all, it was nice to visit a Mexican restaurant with noted gluten-free options on the menu, but the experience wasn’t the greatest. Our service was less than what you would expect and we had some troubles with our drink orders. While I don’t see myself returning to Cocina De Carlos in the near future, it is good to share the experience with you.

Having the option to eat at a new restaurant is always nice, not to mention several options at the restaurant itself. Hopefully our less-than favorable experience was an exception to the rule at Cocina De Carlos.

If you are interested in seeing the gluten-free options available at Cocina De Carlos, check out their online menu.

Have you ever visited Cocina De Carlos? If so, share your experience in the comments below!